Growing food in the Willamette Valley

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Tomato report 2004

I grew too many tomatoes of too many varieties this year – over 30 types, maybe 50 plants. I went a little crazy after last year’s fun with 15 or so varities… It was hard to tell all of them apart and keep track of what was what. Lots of very happy chickens around here, though, and a turkey with a terrible tomato addiction.

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REGULAR TOMATOES

Purple Cherokee
– I really liked this last year, though it wasn’t terribly productive.
This year it’s pretty late and not as tasty as I rememeber (maybe location related), and cracking. I’ll give this one more year. Bountiful.
Pink Caspian
– not distinctive. Very large, pink. Fairly vigorus and productive. Probably won’t plant again. Trade.
Prudens Purple
– actually a pink rather than purple. Large. Did poorly on taste tests; won’t plant again. Fairly prolific for large heirloom, fairly vigorous. Trade.
Black Krim
– last year this produced nothing (disease). This year, it is healthy but very late, cracking, not much flavor. May not be in a great location (it was next to the purple cherokee). I’d like to give it another chance, but this may not make the cut. Bountiful.
Black Plum, Black Prince
– I got both these varities in different trades, and they are exactly the same. Early, profilic, vigorous, medium-small to small dark round tomatoes. Excellent flavor; high marks in most taste tests, very sweet and tomatoey. No BER. A lot of cracked shoulders, and split badly after picking. I’ll definately grow this again. Trades.
Purple Calabash
– small, extremely corrugated and flattened, strongly flavored, purple. Most people didn’t like the flavor; one person loved it. Early and prolific. I’d only grow this again for visual effect, it was terrible for consumption. Territorial.
Kellog’s Breakfast
– very delicious, sweet and tomatoy, orange/yellow orange. Scant bearer. Reasonably early. While it tasted great, Rainbow and orange banana were both better. Slightly different flavor from Amana, but otherwise very similar/hard to tell apart. Trade.
Amana Orange
– very delicious, sweet, orange/yellow orange. Scant bearer. Reasonably early. While it tasted great, Rainbow and orange banana were both better. Slightly different flavor from Kellogs, but otherwise very similar/hard to tell apart. Baker.
Rainbow
– Last year these were large, this year they are medium size. Orange/red. Delicious – our neighbor’s consistent all time favorite. Decent bearer. I’ll keep growing this. Bountiful.
Evergreen
– not too tomatoey, but very sweet. Unusual flavor; one taster’s favorite. This year it was a very scant bearer and somewhat late; last year more prolific. Last year was “evergreen” from Bountiful, it’s possible this is “emerald” from Baker. I’ll keep growing it for the mix, but it’s not much use for anything else. (the color makes it dreadful dried or canned)
Tappy’s Heritage
– Large red tomato, reasonably early. Failed taste tests, too acid, not enough flavor. Won’t grow again. Baker.
Omar’s Lebanese
– large red tomato, okay flavor. Late, fairly profilic. Baker. Iffy on growing this again. Baker.
Ace
– decent red prolific and vigorous. Doing well late season. Iffy on growing this again. Trade.
Arkansas traveller
– medium-large pinkish round. Flavor not as good as Ace. Late-ish, fairly productive. Won’t grow agin. Baker.
Burpee Burger (hybrid?)
– very large, very red, burger type. Okay flavor. Late, the plant is very small, maybe location related. A fine workaday tomato; might well grow this again. Burpee.
Peron
– sweet and tasty medium-large red. Some taste taster’s favorites. Prolific, fairly vigorous, reliable. My old favorite. Territorial.
Pearson
– sweet and tasty medium-large red. Prolific. It’s difficult to distinguish Peron, Pearson and Medford; this one may not make the cut, but it’s an excellent tomato. Baker.
Medford
– very sweet and flavorful red medium size. From purchased start, and it ended up smaller than the others. Fairly prolific; may be less productive late in season. A locally originating variety. My favorite in most of the taste tests. I’ll definately grow this again. Local nursery.
Brandywine
– large pink. This year they are not doing very well on the taste tests. Probably will plant again just since it’s famous. Bountiful.
Joker (hybrid)
– medium small red tomato. A lot of blossom end rot early on. Fairly good flavor. Not vigorous, moderately productive. Probably won’t plant this again. Twilley
Thai Pink Egg
– what a dreadful tomato. Small, unusual pink color and shape, acid, no tomato flavor. Fairly prolific and early, not terribly vigorous. Baker.

CHERRY/GRAPE
Gabrielle (hybrid)
– an amazing find, small meaty grape tomato, excellent flavor. Extremely profilic, not terribly vigorous, fairly early. Late season cracked badly, and generally unhappy with weather. Will definately plant again. Twilley.
Mexico Midget
– “eh”. Very vigorous, small juicy round cherry tomato. Some people preferred this to Gabrielle, but I do the planting so we’re not likely to grow again. Not terribly prolific, maybe the location wasn’t sunny enough, or too much N (it made a lot of plant). Trade.

PASTE
Principe Borghese
– Got seeds in a trade. Supposed to be a paste type, but they came out basically as a cherry tomato. Very early and prolific; I was happy with them in July or August, but ripped them out early in September. I won’t grow these seeds again, though I may purchase seeds in case it’s a mislabel. Trade.
Viva Italia (hybrid)
– great sauce tomato; lot of BER. Territorial.
Saucy (hybrid)
– good sauce tomato; not sure on BER. Territorial.
Health Kick (hybrid)
– great sauce tomato (large and firm but not much flavor); not much BER. Burpee.
Opalka
– second year with these, I’m not impressed. Late, not productive, ripen unevenly, some are small. Not much BER. I doubt I’ll plant it next year; still looking for a large OP sauce tomato.
Pinetree.
Orange Banana
– sweet, profilic, orange paste type, largish for a paste. A lot of mild stem end cracking/green shoulders, no BER at all. A quiet but hard working tomato, I’m definately growing this again.
Baker

NO DATA
Long Keeper
– not entered in any taste tests (none ripe as of october 18!)
Pinetree
Sweet Million (hybrid?)
– planted late; not entered in any taste tests. Plant from local nursery.
Oregon Spring
– badly located; not entered in any taste tests. Territorial.
4th of July (hybrid)
– badly located; not entered in any taste tests. Burpee.
Early Girl (hybrid)
– badly located; not entered in any taste tests. Burpee.